Tuesday, 30 April 2013

There’s nothing like the first day of Theatre Ontario Festival. There’s energy everywhere: at the hotel front desk as we’re checking in and spotting a friend we haven’t seen in a year, or in the hospitality suite as we pick up our workshop itinerary for the week, or in the auditorium as we settle into our seats. There’s a feeling of promise that we’ll make that connection—a connection with someone who knows the solution to the problem challenging our theatre company, a connection with an idea at an adjudication that will make our own work richer, or a connection with a play that will change us forever.

It starts with the participating community theatre companies themselves. There’s a common experience found in the stories that we share.

Our host, Domino Theatre is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year, their first full season in a new home which began its life as a hockey arena. Sixty years ago, Domino’s first production—Jean Paul Sartre’s In Camera (best known as No Exit)—was performed at an Odeon movie theatre, running between films. At the last moment, the movie was changed and the audience was a very different crowd than anticipated. The actors were booed, items were thrown, and police were called in to quell a riot.

Playwright Judith Thompson received her theatre nurturing at Domino Theatre: her mother Mary volunteered on many shows, bringing Judith in a bassinet leaving her to sleep contentedly backstage. Also among the Domino alumnae is Tim Chapman, Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Coordinator, who acted with the group when he lived in Kingston as a student at Queen’s University—appearing with Judith in a production of Dracula.

Theatre Night In Merrickville (TNIM) opens Festival on May 15 with David S. Craig’s Having Hope At Home. Merrickville is an artist’s community of a thousand people about one hour from Ottawa, and is known as “the Jewel of the Rideau.” TNIM rents the local community hall, moving into an empty black box on a Sunday with their equipment and their seating, and moving out a week later after the Sunday matinee. Having Hope At Home was closing on the same day as the Eastern Ontario Drama League Festival Awards Brunch in Belleville. Director Margaret Shearman had to call Merrickville from the awards venue with the message, “Don’t trash the set!”

TNIM have led a nomadic existence in recent years, as previous rehearsal spaces have been sold or re-purposed. Having Hope At Home was rehearsed in a community centre in nearby Eastons Corners, and the set was built in an unused bay of a local volunteer fire department.

Theatre Ensemble (previously known as Theatre Intrigue Society) from Windsor performs Dennis Kelly’s Orphans on May 16. As described by co-producer Theresa Ouellette-Klein, Theatre Ensemble has recently re-branded to better describe their focus as “an ensemble of cast and crew working together towards a common goal.” Working on Orphans was one such collaboration. When one actor had to drop out, the director stepped into the role, and the cast directed each other. Crew were invited to all rehearsals, providing feedback to the actors as well. It was rehearsed in church basements, and they rented the Capitol Theatre for their performances.

Theatre Ensemble’s focus is two-fold working with young people and developing original works. In the summer, the youth wing will be presenting Shakespeare In The Park, and they have received a grant to perform an original War of 1812 musical at three re-enactments this summer.

Michele and Terry Browne in Markham
Little Theatre's Mending Fences

On May 17, Markham Little Theatre (MLT) presents Mending Fences, the first of two Norm Foster plays at Festival. MLT rents the 530-seat Markham Theatre for a four-night run of their shows. In the Spring of 2006, through the hard work of corporate fundraising and applying for municipal and provincial grants, they were able to purchase and renovate a building on the grounds of the Markham District Heritage Museum to create “Backstage”—a rehearsal hall, workshop, storage, and office space.

The cast of Mending Fences includes Terry and Michele Browne, husband and wife winners of the Best Actor and Best Actress Awards in the Comedy category at the 2012-2013 Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario Festival. Terry was also in the cast the last time MLT participated in Festival, travelling to North Bay in 2008 with Outlaw (also by Norm Foster, and like Mending Fences directed by Kathryn DeLory)—with a set designed by Michele.

The cast of Espanola Little
Theatre's Looking

Closing the Festival on May 18 is Espanola Little Theatre (ELT) presenting the week’s second play by Norm Foster, Looking. ELT is renowned for its ability to create small effective sets, easily transportable in a van or small truck. As Looking’s Producer Lisa Gamelin explained, that skill came in handy for this production. It was first presented in partnership with the local Legion as dinner theatre. When ELT’s planned QUONTA Festival production fell through, they decided to remount Looking, rehearsing in cast and crew members’ living rooms, and performing for two nights in a local high school before the remount in North Bay. The stage in Kingston will be the fourth venue for this production.

Director Walter Maskel was an English and Drama teacher at the local high school—the production includes former students Richard Gamelin (in the cast) and Mike Boivin (sound). Coincidentally, both Walter and TNIM’s director Margaret Shearman were honoured last year with Theatre Ontario’s Michael Spence Award, honouring outstanding contribution to community theatre in their respective regions.

Festival adjudicator John P. Kelly

The connections also take place at Festival’s numerous educational opportunities for enthusiastic community theatre practitioners. Mornings feature the detailed adjudication of the previous night’s performance by our adjudicator, John P. Kelly. All Festival attendees can listen to the detailed adjudications, and observe the adjudicator and companies discuss interpretations, strategies, and techniques, taking away a few insights for your own future productions.

On Wednesday afternoon, Liz Schell, Domino Theatre member and Portsmouth District Councillor, will lead a tour of the historic Portsmouth Village. The Village is home of the oldest penitentiary in Canada and the Olympic Harbour that hosted the 1976 Olympic sailing competition. You’ll also hear the story of The Convict Lover, based on the book by Merilyn Simonds, with the Festival theatre’s original incarnation featuring prominently. As we talk about how theatres need to understand the distinction between “theatre in the community” and “theatre of the community,” it’s invaluable for community theatres to be able to understand and reflect on their own communities.

On Thursday afternoon, John P. Kelly will lead a “highly-illustrated” talk (all illustrations given by the audience) on the great art that has seduced him continuously for forty years. Questions will be bandied about like “What is stage movement?” “Is theatre a visual art any more?” “Who is the boss in rehearsal?” “What does PACE mean on stage?” “Does competition improve standards?” Bring your questions. Disagreement is expected.

Playwright-in-Person John Lazarus

Friday afternoon features our Playwright-in-Person John Lazarus, and will include a reading from his work-in-progress called Sex With Feminists, set in 1974 “when the so-called Sexual Revolution was overlapping with Second-Wave Feminism, and a lot of us were trying to have it both ways, with complicated results.” He’ll also talk about the principles of playwriting and—if time permits—lead workshop games for constructing plots and creating dialogue. Playwright-in-Person is made possible by a grant from the Playwrights Guild of Canada, funded by the Canada Council..

On Saturday afternoon, Theatre Ontario Executive Director Carol Beauchamp and Blyth Festival General Manager Deb Sholdice will lead our second Community Theatre Discussion Forum. These conversations on community theatre are an opportunity to identify challenges we can collectively address to work towards a successful future. Our first session in Aurora has already sparked some enthusiastic conversations and potential collaborations.

Every night closes with a celebration of community theatre at the Green Room parties. These nights are opportunities to talk about the shows, catch up with old friends, and meet new ones. We honour the evening’s performance and the spirit of imagination, collaboration, and determination seen on and off the stages of Ontario’s community theatres. On the last day we celebrate with awards, recognizing excellence and setting off more passionate debates. We say goodbye, grateful for the connections we’ve made and sustained, and looking forward to the next celebration.

Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Dialogue on Design on April 29 at 10:00am in Toronto – Are you mystified about dealing with designers? Join Associated Designers of Canada Executive Director Sheila Sky and professional designers Patrick DuWors and Julia Tribe for a discussion on communicating with designers – from contracting through to opening night. Find out what types of information help make the design process go smoothly and promote fluid collaboration as the project evolves in rehearsal.

Financial Literacy: What Self-Employed Artists Need To Know, with Tessa-Marie Schillingford, on May 13 at 10:30am in Toronto – Providing some basic skills will enable you to take control of your finances and make the best possible money decisions, including setting financial goals, managing on a low and erratic income, making a spending plan, dealing with debt, credit and credit cards, smart banking, and planning for retirement.

Getting Started for Actors, with Tim Chapman, on May 15 at 2:00pm in Toronto – For actors beginning their professional careers, answering the most frequently asked questions about the business of acting including the realities of showbiz, pictures and resumes, Equity and ACTRA, agents and casting directors, auditioning, and maintaining and improving your acting skills.

Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including the new federal and provincial not-for-profit corporations acts, self-producing, our summer courses, and more.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts is providing two Accessible Customer Service Standard of the AODA workshops—Customer Service Staff Training on April 30 and Train The Trainer Training on May 2. Registration deadline for both is April 25.

Application deadline for SummerWorks Leadership Intensive Program for emerging artists who have a strong interest in producing, the business of the arts and artistic leadership but may not have the experience is April 26.

Next Aluna Café is April 29. Aluna Café is a place to share ideas and exchange in foreign traditions and new influences. It’s a friendly platform to express your opinions, show or talk about your new creative endeavours and enjoy an evening of theatre and conversation. The play is The Agony of Ecstasy by Sabina Berman of Mexico.

The application deadline for Driftwood Theatre’s Creative Roots Intensive for Young Artists is April 30. This summer program will provide nurturing experiences for young artists to train in the three areas of performance particular to Driftwood’s work: classical text, a capella musical performance, and movement-based theatre.

Application deadline for the Wuchien Michael Than Foundation Theatre Projects–Production grant is May 1. This grant helps fund production of new works by Asian-Canadian playwrights between September 1, 2013 and August 31, 2014.

New on The Bulletin Board

Ryerson University’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education’s next course in its Arts and Entertainment Administration series begins May 6, and focuses on Audience Outreach and Engagement.

Theatre Rusticle is pleased to announce The Patrick Conner Award. The award honours their long-time collaborator Patrick Conner (and also a former Theatre Ontario member) and seeks to carve a space to acknowledge the costs of integrity, honesty, generosity and belief. The award straddles and unifies two worlds that were essential to Patrick: theatre and a sustainable world of green living. This annual award honours two individuals with a cash prize of $2500 each. The application deadline is May 15.

Check out these items, and other postings from our members of workshops, calls for submission, community events, funding opportunities, awards and recognition opportunities, and much more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

In Southwestern OntarioApr. 23, Fiddler On The Roof at Stratford Festival (in previews)Apr. 25, Old Love at St. Marys Community PlayersApr. 26, The Murder Room at Elmira Theatre Company

In TorontoApr. 24, carried away on the crest of a wave at Tarragon Theatre (currently in previews) – world premiereApr. 25, A Few Brittle Leaves at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, with a preview on Apr. 24Apr. 25, The Mousetrap at Lower Ossington TheatreApr. 25, Falsettos at Acting Up Stage Theatre Company, with previews from Apr. 23Apr. 26, The Drowsy Chaperone at Etobicoke Musical Productions

Thursday, 18 April 2013

Applications are now open for the 2014 Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival.

Each season, the Shaw Festival hires two Intern Directors. They look for promising professional directors at a point in their career where an extended residency with a company like the Shaw Festival will be of benefit to their professional development. Applicants should have a good amount of professional experience but will not have had an opportunity to work on the scale of production that is characteristic of the Shaw Festival.

Since its inception in 1988, the project has been sponsored annually by Sun Life Financial and Theatre Ontario.

Wednesday, 17 April 2013

Directors Intensive, with Autumn Smith on April 20 to 21 in Toronto – This two-day workshop is designed for experienced directors in both the community theatre and professional realms. The intensive will concentrate on the art of making the work as specific as possible; exploring how to get what the playwright intended onto the stage in a simple and detailed fashion.

Dialogue on Design on April 29 in Toronto – Are you mystified about dealing with designers? Join Associated Designers of Canada Executive Director Sheila Sky and professional designers Patrick DuWors and Julia Tribe for a discussion on communicating with designers -- from contracting through to opening night. Find out what types of information help make the design process go smoothly and promote fluid collaboration as the project evolves in rehearsal.

Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including financial literary, getting started in acting, the new not-for-profit corporations acts, self-producing and our summer courses.Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

Deadline to apply for the Festival Players Young Company (high school and post-secondary students) in Prince Edward County is April 18.

Magnetic North Theatre Festival is holding a Masterclass in Devising in the Landscape with Wildworks (UK) in Ottawa on June 3 to 7; the application deadline is April 19.

Tarragon Theatre’s latest WorkSpace presentation (Sean Dixon’s A God In Need Of Help) starts April 20. In an effort to nurture new play development, Tarragon offers artists several weeks to workshop a play before presenting it, in its primary phases, to a small audience and a free admission.

For producers with a production in a festival, indie artists and small companies—Young Associates is holding a two-day “ABCs of Indie Finances” workshop on April 23 and 24.

New on The Bulletin Board

As part of their 100th Anniversary celebrations, Ottawa Little Theatre is inaugurating “the Cornerstone Project”, permanently recognizing outstanding volunteers. All OLT alumnae are encouraged to participate—the nomination deadline is May 15.

The Toronto Fringe Festival is now inviting applications for the Next Stage Festival. Next Stage is open to artists who have previously participated in any CAFF member festivals, seeking to move beyond the summer production model and showcase their work to a wider audience. Application deadline is May 24.

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Theatre Ontario is pleased to announce the latest recipients of training grants through Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP). $45,000 was awarded in total among the following recipients:

Nicholas Carney to train in sound design with Richard Feren at Soulpepper Theatre

Wesley J. Colford to apprentice in producing and artistic direction with Jacob Zimmer at Small Wooden Shoe Theatre

Andrew Cromwell to train in producing with Ed Roy at Topological Theatre

Scott Dermody to apprentice in producing with Aislinn Rose at Praxis Theatre and other theatres

Kiyomi Hidaka to apprentice in wardrobe management with Jennifer Triemstra at Festival Players of Prince Edward County

Rose Napoli to train in literary management/new play development with Erica Kopyto at Nightwood Theatre

Elizabeth Saunders to train in directing with Peter Hinton

Tyler Seguin to apprentice in puppetry design and construction with Peter Balkwill at the Old Trout Puppet Workshop in Alberta

Jonathan Seinen to train in directing with Joey Tremblay at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa

Lawrence Shapiro to train in directing with Wolfgang Stange at Amici Dance Theatre in London, England

Zoe Sweet to apprentice in producing and general management with Roxanne Duncan at The Theatre Centre

Ari Weinberg to train in directing with Ashlie Corcoran at Thousand Islands Playhouse and artistic direction with Steven Schipper at the Manitoba Theatre Centre

Amanda West Lewis to apprentice in directing with Lynda Hill and Jacqueline Russell at Theatre Direct

Friday, 12 April 2013

Andy McKim, Artistic Director of Theatre Passe Muraille, reflected on another artistic director who tried to engage with his audience, but was seen to be “apologizing for the art”

A case study in audience building and steel cages from Adam Thurman on Mission Paradox—there’s an extremely valuable lesson to be learned from an organization that has successfully built new audiences numerous times: World Wrestling Entertainment

Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Directors Intensive, with Autumn Smith on April 20 to 21 in Toronto – This two-day workshop is designed for experienced directors in both the community theatre and professional realms. The intensive will concentrate on the art of making the work as specific as possible; exploring how to get what the playwright intended onto the stage in a simple and detailed fashion.

Dialogue on Design on April 29 in Toronto – Are you mystified about dealing with designers? Join Associated Designers of Canada Executive Director Sheila Sky and professional designers Patrick DuWors and Julia Tribe for a discussion on communicating with designers, from contracting through to opening night. Find out what types of information help make the design process go smoothly and promote fluid collaboration as the project evolves in rehearsal.

Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including financial literary, the professional acting business, the new not-for-profit corporations act, our summer courses, and more.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

The next Toronto Fringe Festival “Tent Talk in the Lab” is today at 11:15am—the topic is The Business of Auditioning, with a panel of Joanne Williams (Canadian Stage), Cara Gee (actor), and Pam Winter (Gary Goddard Agency)

The application deadline for the Arts and Letters Club’ New Playwrights Award for the creation of a one-act play script by a full-time secondary or post-secondary student in the GTA is April 15

The Toronto Public Library is inviting applications from Toronto-based artists and cultural groups for Culture Days at the Toronto Public Library, providing free venues for interactive free activities; application deadline is April 15

New on The Bulletin Board

Driftwood Theatre has extended the application deadline for its Creative Roots Intensive for Young Artists to April 30. This summer program will provide nurturing experiences for young artists to train in the three areas of performance particular to Driftwood’s work: classical text, a capella musical performance, and movement-based theatre.

Tuesday, 9 April 2013

With the close of community theatre festivals in central and eastern Ontario over the past weekend, we are thrilled to announce the four plays that will make up this year’s Theatre Ontario Festival in Kingston, opening Wednesday, May 15. Featuring three shows by Canadian playwrights and a new international drama, and with a mix of new and returning theatre companies, this year’s Festival promises to be a great celebration of community theatre in Ontario. Festival tickets are now on sale.

Traditionally, the host region opens the Festival, and representing the Eastern Ontario Drama League will be Theatre Night In Merrickville with their production of Having Hope At Home by long-time Theatre Ontario member David S. Craig. The play is a side-splitting look at a family learning to love again. On a winter night in a drafty farmhouse a baby is about to arrive. But modern medicine meets midwifery head on in a torrent of family feuding. As tensions rise between three dysfunctional generations, so does the laughter. This is Theatre Night In Merrickville’s first show at Theatre Ontario Festival in three decades.

On Thursday, May 16, we welcome Windsor’s Theatre Intrigue to their first Theatre Ontario Festival. Theatre Intrigue will be presenting Dennis Kelly’s Orphans (not to be confused with Lyle Kessler’s Orphans currently playing on Broadway and most memorably presented at Festival in 1999 in Newmarket by Woodstock Little Theatre.) Helen and her husband Danny's night in is interrupted by Helen's brother Liam, who arrives covered in blood claiming to have found a young lad injured on the street. When Liam's recollection of the event begins to change under questioning, suspicions are aroused followed by increasing concern that he may have been more involved than first thought. This play premiered at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and is described as a riveting and violent exploration of urban fear and a moral dilemma. Theatre Intrigue represents the Western Ontario Drama League.

Friday, May 17 features Markham Little Theatre’s presentation of Mending Fences by Norm Foster. Harry Sullivan hasn't seen his son Drew in thirteen years. And now Drew is coming to Harry's Saskatchewan ranch for a visit. This poignant comedy tells the story of two men who are too stubborn to give in to feelings of the heart. Markham Little Theatre last represented the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario in 2008 in North Bay, with a presentation of another Norm Foster show—Outlaw.

The Festival performances finish on Saturday, May 18 with a second Norm Foster comedy, as Espanola Little Theatre presents Looking. Val’s an OR nurse, Andy’s in the storage business, Nina’s a police officer and Matt’s a radio morning show host. They’re middle-aged, single and looking. Val agrees to meet Andy after answering his personal ad in the newspaper. Nina and Matt are coaxed into joining their friends for support. High romance and contagious laughter are the result. Espanola last appeared at Festival in 2011 in Richmond Hill, presenting David Fennario’s Balconville. They won the Elsie Award for Outstanding Production in 1997 in Cornwall for their presentation of Romulus Linney’s A Woman Without A Name, and are representing QUONTA, the community theatre association of northeastern Ontario.

Theatre Ontario Festival 2013 is co-hosted by Kingston’s Domino Theatre and the Eastern Ontario Drama League. The annual Theatre Ontario Festival is a showcase of outstanding community theatre productions chosen from regional festivals, bringing together theatre lovers from across the province. It’s also an educational experience featuring adjudications, workshops, networking, and play readings by Canadian writers. We celebrate community theatre, with awards recognizing outstanding achievements and lots of parties! Festival tickets are now on sale by telephone at 613-546-3415. Accommodation details are available on the Domino Theatre website.

Monday, 8 April 2013

In Central Ontario
Apr. 12, The Trouble With Clifford at Blackhorse Village Players (Tottenham) with a preview on Apr. 10
Apr. 12, Possible Worlds at Talk Is Free Theatre (Barrie) with a preview on Apr. 11

In Toronto
Apr. 9, Spring Awakening at George Brown Theatre School
Apr. 9, The Playboy Of The Western World at George Brown Theatre School
Apr. 10, A Brimful Of Asha at Tarragon Theatre
Apr. 11, Race at Canadian Stage (currently in previews)
Apr. 11, Blue Planet at Young People's Theatre (with previews from Apr. 8)
Apr. 11, AlterNatives at ACT II Studio Theatre
Apr. 11, Young Frankenstein at Alexander Showcase Theatre
Apr. 12, The Killdeer at Alumnae Theatre Company

Thursday, 4 April 2013

Do you know how the new not-for-profit corporation acts are going to affect your theatre company? With new laws for both provincially-incorporated and federally-incorporated not-for-profits, theatres may find they need new letters patent and by-laws, and may have other significant administrative requirements to meet. Learning about these changes can ease the transition process and help to ensure that your organization is fully compliant with either the new Federal or Ontario Act—while failure to comply could have significant impact on how your organization will operate: its governance, its charitable registration, or its activities.

The Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (the “Federal Act”) is a new law that came into force in October 2011. The Federal Act is applicable to all Federal not-for-profit corporations previously incorporated under Part II of the Canada Corporations Act (the “Old Federal Act”), and to all Federal not-for-profit organizations looking to incorporate (together, “Federal NFPs.”) All Federal NFPs previously incorporated under the Old Federal Act are required to transition to the new Federal Act by October 17, 2014. Until they have made the transition, the Old Federal Act will continue to apply to such Federal NFPs. Eventually, the Old Federal Act will be repealed and any Federal NFPs that have not transitioned will be dissolved (for registered charities, dissolution could further lead to the revocation of their registration as a charity.)

Ontario’s Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (the "Ontario Act"), which is targeted to come into effect on or about January 1, 2014, will set out how Ontario not-for-profit corporations and charities (together, “Ontario NFPs”) are created, governed, and dissolved. The Ontario Act will apply to every corporation without share capital incorporated under an act of the Ontario legislature (as well as some “social nature” share capital organizations), including those incorporated under Ontario’s current Corporations Act. Existing Ontario NFPs will be required to update their incorporation and related documents in order to comply with the new Ontario Act, and will have three years to complete the transition once the Ontario Act comes into effect. At the end of the three year transition period, any provision of an existing NFP’s letters patent, supplementary letters patent, by-law, or special resolution that still does not conform with the Ontario Act will be considered amended to the extent necessary to conform with the Ontario Act, or in some cases may be considered partly or completely ineffective—a state of uncertainty all Ontario NFPs will want to avoid.

The new Federal Act sets out rules that govern the internal affairs of Federal NFPs, simplified administrative processes, more flexibility to make fundamental changes, and a more objective standard for directors in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. Federal NFPs, in order to avoid automatic dissolution, will be required among other things, to obtain a Certificate of Continuance and to create and file new by-laws that comply with the Federal Act, which may include replacement of their letters patent and supplementary letters patent (if any.)

The Ontario Act will make it simpler for Ontario NFPs to incorporate and will provide a framework for greater transparency and accountability in how Ontario NFPs are run. In addition, the Ontario Act will clarify when Ontario NFPs can engage in commercial activities, allow Ontario NFPs to use a review engagement rather than an audit in some situations, enhance members’ rights, and provide members with greater access to financial records. Among other things, Ontario NFPs will need to review, and may need to draft or update their articles of incorporation, by-laws, and/or letters patent and supplementary letters patent in order to comply with the new Ontario Act:

Sarah Farrell (www.sarahfarrell-law.com) is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer who focuses on the law affecting theatre practitioners in Ontario. The contents of this article do not constitute legal advice nor do they create a solicitor/client relationship between Sarah Farrell and the reader. Each individual and organization will have its own specific concerns and circumstances that it will need to address when dealing with the issues set out in this article. It is strongly recommended that the reader seek independent legal advice prior to following any course of action related to this article. This article is not an exhaustive review of the topic set out herein and only provides a snapshot overview of some of the issues surrounding that topic. Sources: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cd-dgc.nsf/eng/h_cs03925.html and http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/Pages/Not_For_Profit.aspx.

Wednesday, 3 April 2013

PTTP Talkback and Mixer on April 8 in Toronto – Looking to further or change your career? Develop a new skill? Mentoring through Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program—funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario—is a valuable way of learning from experienced professionals, benefiting from one-to-one guidance, making valuable connections and expanding your network and enhancing your career opportunities. Come meet with past recipients Laura Nanni, Peter Pasyk, Tanisha Taitt, and Tim Chapman, our Professional Theatre Coordinator (and a past recipient himself.)

Self-Start: The Basics of Producing on April 10 in Toronto – If you want to do a show but have never produced professionally before, and if you want to know what questions to ask first, this session is for you! Self-Start is a practical seminar facilitated by Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator.

Directors Intensive on April 20 to 21 in Toronto – This two-day workshop is designed for experienced directors in both the community theatre and professional realms. The intensive will concentrate on the art of making the work as specific as possible; exploring how to get what the playwright intended onto the stage in a simple and detailed fashion.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts has extended the deadline for nominations for the Dora Ancillary Awards (Silver Ticket Award; Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award, honouring excellence and ambassadorship for the arts; George Luscombe Award for Mentorship in Theatre; Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for Outstanding Leadership in Administration; and Pauline McGibbon Award for Unique Talents and Potential for Excellence) to April 8

The next Toronto Fringe Festival “Tent Talk in the Lab” is on April 10 at 11:15am—the topic is The Business of Auditioning, with a panel of Joanne Williams (Canadian Stage), Cara Gee (actor), and Pam Winter (Gary Goddard Agency)

New on The Bulletin Board

Magnetic North Theatre Festival is holding a Masterclass in Devising in the Landscape with Wildworks (UK) in Ottawa on June 3 to 7; the application deadline is April 19

Playwrights Guild of Canada has announced two new workshops for aspiring musical theatre writers: An Introduction to the Craft of Writing for the Musical Theatre (Or - All the Rules You Can Decide to Ignore Later!), with Jim Betts (beginning on May 4) and Lyric Writing for Theatre (beginning on May 21)

Magnetic North Theatre Festival is inviting artists to participate in the Artists Marketplace, a networking and promotional event as part of the Festival in Ottawa on June 11

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Serving Ontario's Theatre community since 1971, Theatre Ontario develops and supports theatre practitioners across the province, by providing resources, networking, training and advocacy. To access our services, become a member, or donate to support our work, visit the Theatre Ontario website